


Rivaille at University

by sialynn



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2018-01-04 23:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sialynn/pseuds/sialynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an AU where Levi is the heir to the vast and powerful Romani Mafia, he heads off to college at his father's request and meets an unexpected roommate and an old friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Levi hesitated with his hand on the doorknob to his new apartment. He could still turn back. He could convince his father that he didn't need a degree to take over the family business. Well, he had already come this far. He had signed the lease and bought his books, so he may as well give it a shot.

"Oh, hi!" A boy, slightly taller than Levi with messy brown hair and bright green eyes stood in the middle of his apartment.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Levi demanded. 

"Jean didn't tell you?" 

"Tell me what?"

"He dropped off the lease, gave the spot to me instead."

"Why?" Levi was shooting daggers at the boy with his eyes. The only reason he had agreed to even move away to university was because he would be living with one of his father's close advisors, Jean Kirstein. He didn't want to move in with some naive brat who might compromise the family business.

"I don't know, he told me something came up with work," the boy shrugged. He was growing more nervous by the minute. Who was this short, black haired, intimidating boy? Not so much a boy as a young man, though. The darkness in his eyes made it clear that he had left childhood behind a long time ago. Perhaps it would diffuse the situation if he introduced himself. "I'm Eren Jaeger, and you are?"

"Levi," he answered shortly. "How did you know Jean?" 

"He's my uncle, actually."

"Do you know what he does for a living?"

"He told me he's in the vending machine business... Isn't he?" 

Levi sighed at Eren's naiveity. Jean never was a good liar. "Sure. Yeah. The vending machine business." He picked his bags up out of the hall and walked them into the room, tossing them down on one of the beds. This apartment was tiny. Couldn't his father afford better? One bathroom, one bedroom, and a kitchen that doubled as the living room. Even their foyer at home was bigger than this.

"It's a nice place, huh?" Eren said, sitting down on the other bed. Levi didn't reply. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Jean's number. It rang for a while, then Jean finally picked up.

"Heyy, Levi. You settled into your new place?" Jean asked.

"Who is this brat?" Levi wanted to know.

"Hey!" Eren protested against being called a brat.

"My nephew. Good kid. Not terribly bright, but he's loyal and has a bit of a temper."

"He has a temper relative to me?" Levi's temper was infamous among the Romani mafia.

"Okay maybe he's not at your level. Why are you asking? You got an issue with him?"

"He's clueless. An idiot. How am I going to get any work done with him here?"

"Seriously, I'm right here!" Eren interjected again.

"Nahh, he's not so bad," Jean weakly defended his nephew.

"He thinks you're in the vending machine business."

"Oh," Jean's voice dropped a bit. "Okay, give the phone to him." Levi held it out to his roommate, and Eren held the phone up to his ear.

"Uncle Jean?" Eren said.

"Eren, I kill people for a living," Jean told him. He figured there was no point in beating around the bush.

"Oookay."

"Levi is the son of the Romani Mafia Don."

"Oookay."

"Are we good?" Jean was surprised that his nephew was so readily accepting this information.

"Yep."

"Good. Give the phone back to Levi."

"It's taken care of," Jean told Levi.

"Alright," Levi snapped the phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. He opened up his suitcase and began unpacking, unfolding and refolding each piece of clothing before he tucked it into a dresser drawer, even though all of this things were already pristinely folded inside of the suitcase. His other case wasn't full of clothes, but weapons and tools and sealed files. Eren leaned forwards from his place on the opposite bed, craning his neck to get a better look into the case. There were only two guns, an antique revolver and a pistol that looked like the sort the police used. Eren recognised a silencer tucked into the boxes of ammunition. The wide array of blades in the case was impressive, and even more intimidating that Levi's cold stare--which, Eren noticed was now fixated on him.

"What are you staring at?" Levi said flatly. Eren quickly began unpacking his own case. He heard a shuffling and a small grunt behind him and turned back to see what Levi was doing. The shorter, dark haired boy had pulled off his shirt so he was only standing in his jeans with the waistband of his underwear peeking out. Across nearly his entire back was a tattoo of two overlapping wings, one dark and one light. He pulled an elastic strap with a small sheath of sorts fixed onto it and slid it up onto his bicep, then snapping a stiletto blade into the sheath. The handle od the dagger pointed down his arm, so after he put his shirt back on he could easily reach up the sleeve and pull it out at a moment's notice. He did put his shirt back on now, it was a dark gray, collared button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Unless Eren had watched him place it there he never would have known there was a lethal blade hidden up his sleeve. He took his smart phone that he had used earlier out of his pocket and pulled a burn phone out of the case to replace it. He took the pistol and loaded it, flipping on the safety and tucking it into the waistband of his jeans.

"What if it falls down your pants?" Eren accidentally wondered aloud. Levi seemed surprised that the other boy had said anything about it. He lifted his shirt back up and pulled the gun back out, turning out the upper edge of his jeans to show Eren the cloth pocked sewn into the inside. He slipped the pistol back into the pocket and fixed his shirt over it.

"They never show that in the movies. They just show a bunch of dumbasses shoving guns down their shorts," Levi said. He pulled a file out of the case now, and flipped through it. "Mmmm, okay," he muttered to himself. He put the file back and closed the case, locking it and shoving it under his bed.

"I'm going out," he said.

"Can I come?" Levi turned back, again surprised by Eren's questions.

"It might not be safe for you," Levi said.

"I want to come," Eren insisted. Levi sighed. Could it really be so bad? He was only going to collect a payment from someone who owed money to his father. Usually there were lower level thugs that did this, but since Levi was the only one in the area he had volunteered to take care of it.

"Just, don't get in my way," Levi told him as they walked out the door. They took the underground train across town, Eren tittering with excitement the entire way and Levi's usual glare growing colder by the minute. They got off at the red light district, a place Eren had never been but Levi knew fairly well. Levi led them straight to a club that was really just a cover for a call girl business. 

"Hey, you can't just waltz in here, kid!" The bouncer put his meaty hand on Levi's chest to stop him.

"My name is Rivaille Heichou, and I suggest you remove that hand before I remove it for you," Levi hissed. The bouncer's eyes widened and he slowly stepped away.

"My apologies, sir, please forgive me." Levi  _hmphed_ and went into the club with Eren at his heels. He paused for a moment until he spotted the VIP back room and made a beeline for it. He burst into the room without a moment's hesitation, stopping dead inside the door with his chest heaving as if he'd just been in a fight. He of course, hadn't, and Eren quickly relized that this was an act. A half naked man was laying back on the bed in the middle of the room, and two nude girls were dancing for him.

"Ladies, if you would please excuse us," Levi said in a voice that seemed polite but held a threatening undertone. The girls threw on what little clothes they had been wearing before and rushed out of the room. Levi slammed the door shut behind them and moved quickly across the room to grab the man by his throat and lift him up off the bed.

"What do you want from me?" The man cried out, he was already nearly ready to beg for his life.

"You're behind on your payments. I'm here to collect," Levi snarled, bring his terrifying face close to the mans. Eren was still by the door, on the other side of the room, but the aura that Levi was giving off sent a shiver up his spine.

"I'll give you the money, please don't hurt me! I just, I just need a couple more days!" Levi's grip on his throat visibly tightened. The man coughed and gasped, clawing at Levi's hands. 

"This is your club, isn't it? This is what Don Heichou gave you the money for?" The man nodded furiously, his face beginning to take on a pale shade of blue. Levi dropped him back onto the bed. 

"This is the Don's club now. You will transfer all business assets of this establishment to the account you were  _supposed_ to be wiring the money to by Monday, or I'll have to pay you another visit. Understood?" The man could only nod, still struggling to fill his deprived lungs with air. Levi nodded to Eren and they left as quickly as they came, walking quickly back to the station. Eren looked at the other passengers while they were riding, wondering where they were coming from or going to. He had never thought about why people were on the train. He never would have imagined some of them might be on their way to collect money for the mafia.

* * *

Levi and Eren's classes started the next Monday, and they had a couple together. Their first class together was Macroeonomics 101. Levi had arrived a minute before Eren and purposefully sat in an area where no one else was, carefully avoiding the growing clusters of friends and new aquaintences.

It was still ten minutes before class started. Levi was always early for everything, so he was taking care of a little business before the professor started speaking. Coded texts to set up meetings, give orders, and make or cancel hits were flying from his fingers through the keys. 

"I've never seen someone so intent on avoiding human contact," a loud voice said as its owner dropped into the seat next to him. It was a tall girl with messy brown hair and glasses that were a bit to big for her.

"Hanji," she said, holding out her hand. Levi side eyed it until she let it drop.

"Levi," he muttered. He snapped the burn phone shut and tucked it into his pocket next to his smartphone. 

"Levi, who's this?" Eren appeared in the seat on the other side of him. Levi's frown deepened.

"Why don't you ask her? I've never seen someone so intent on making human contact, even with people who have no interest in it," Levi snarked. Hanji only laughed, then introduced herself to Eren. The professor began class a moment later, and Levi was saved from having to talk to them. Half the class was spent discussing the syllabus, and then came the announcement that Levi had feared.

"This class isn't too large, so why don't we go aorund the room and each say something about ourselves? It has to be something we wouldn't know just by looking at you."

_Shit._ Levi thought. He never knew what to say for these. He didn't want to introduce himself to these people. His entire life he had been taught how to make your name known but keep your face anonymous, and teachers like this were constantly trying to force him to do the opposite.

"Let's see," the professor's eyes ran down his class list. "Why don't we start with, Rivaille Heichou?" He looked up, scanning the classroom for who would speak up. He would have assumed that student was gone, had Eren not elbowed Levi and said loudly, "You're up!"

_What to say?_ Levi wondered. He couldn't even mention the vast majority of the things about him. Everyone was staring, expecting him to say something.

"My name is Levi," he said finally. The professor scribbled the nickname next to his legal name then looked back up, still waiting. "And I, uh, I'm from New York."

"America?" The professor looked surprised. "Do you want to tell us more about that?"

"No," Levi replied shortly. The professor moved on down the list of names. Eren said he ws Levi's roommate. Hanji said she had eleven siblings. One boy had a third nipple, and another girl said she was licensed to fly airplanes. Levi wasn't paying attention by the time the very last person went. He was tall, broad shouldered, with short cut blond hair and intense eyes. 

"I'm Erwin," he said. Levi looked up from the doodle he was drawing on his notebook. That name, it was familiar. Erwin was three rows in front of Levi, but he had turned back so he could look up at him. "And it's been a long time, Heichou."


	2. Chapter 2

Levi left class the moment the professor excused them, nearly sprinting out the back door. 

"What's he running from?" Hanji asked, half joking. Eren looked down at Erwin, who hadn't yet left his seat. The blonde boy had turned his head just far enough to see Levi run out of the room, and Eren decided he didn't like the smirk on his face.

Levi ran out across the campus, jumping bushes and darting across roads to get as far away from Erwin as he could. He finally stopped at least two miles from campus and collapsed in an alley, gasping to catch his breath.

His smartphone buzzed in his pocket. It was Eren. He sent the call straight to voicemail and dialed a different number.

"Levi? Why are you calling me?" The voice on the other end sounded angry.

"Father," Levi panted. "It's, ah, Erwin is here."

His father was silent for a long time. Erwin's presence at the university was bad news for Levi. 

"What should I do? Should I come home?"

"No!"

"I can't stay here if Erwin is here, father!"

"You're a better fighter than you were last time you met him," the Don said. "You're stronger than him now."

"He's probably been training too," Levi worried.

"You're staying there, Levi! Just stay armed and stay alert. I'm not worried about you." The line went dead with a hollow 'click' but Levi didn't remove the phone from his ear.

Erwin was the son of another Don, of the Romani's rival gang. He hadn't seen Erwin in two years, since they were both nineteen, and their last encounter had left Levi half dead and heavily scarred. They had run into each other late at night in a part of New York that was disputed territory between the two gangs. If they had walked away without fighting they both would have had to step down as the heirs to their respective empires. To come upon a mortal enemy and let him walk away unscathed was one of the easiest ways to lose the respect of your men. So what would happen now? They weren't in New York anymore. They would have to see each other at least every Monday and Wednesday in that class, if not more often. They couldn't pull their weapons out if they ran into each other on campus. Would they settle it in an alley, or through more civil channels. Levi's phone rang again and he realized it was still pressed to his cheek. He pulled it away to see who was calling. He didn't recognize the number, but he had a good idea of who it might be. 

_No,_ Levi thought as he declined the call.  _I can't deal with this now. Not yet._  

He started the walk back to campus, arriving just in time for his only other monday class, a freshman orientation course. He was relieved to see that Eren and Hanji, and especially Erwin, weren't in this class. No one sat next to him here. Some wandered near but Levi was having a bad day and this meant his normally chilling glare could freeze a person on sight. The professor for this class was even worse about introductions. They were all required to give their names and three facts about themselves. Levi's sour face grew even more bitter. It came to be his turn, and he tried to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"I'm Levi. I'm majoring in general business, I'm shit at art, and I'm from New York."

"Thank you, Levi, but please watch your language in my class," the professor said with a smile. Levi nodded slowly. The class ended after only an hour and Levi didn't have anything else to do but head home. He made a quick stop at the grocery store on his way there, then spent the rest of the afternoon listening to music in bed. Eren didn't come home until 8, he had an evening class Mondays.

"What is this music?" Eren asked, sneering slightly at it. Mostly instrumental, with low, melodious chanting mixed in, it was the music that Levi had grown up listening to, singing, and playing.

"It's Romani, you brat," he snapped, but turned it off all the same.

"I'm gonna order a pizza for dinner. What do you want on it?" Now it was Levi's turn to sneer.

"The hell you are," he got up and pulled the phone right out of Eren's hand. "I'm cooking." Eren shrugged and sat down on the fouton in their main room/kitchen. He was fine with that. It wasn't long before the apartment was filled with the delicious smell of pan fried dumplings and ginger salad.  A simple dinner, but so well made with such quality ingredients that it hardly seemed like something you could buy from food carts.

"Mmm!" Eren scarfed it down. "You should be a chef, Levi!" Levi side eyed the mouthful of food that Eren was talking through.

"That's ridiculous," Levi stated as if it were obvious. "I'll be the Romani don one day. People will cook for me, not the other way around."

"Alright, your highness," Eren said, rolling his eyes. He tossed his dishes in the sink without washing them, much to Levi's annoyance. It later annoyed Eren that Levi spent nearly an hour cleaning the kitchen after ther meal, and ten straight minutes lecturing Eren on the importance of cleaning up after himself.

"You can play your music as much as you want if you'll just shut up," Eren groaned. Levi's face took on his signature stare. A completely blank face with no expression in the mouth or eyes, yet somehow a single glance made the victim of his gaze shrink back into their shell as they realized their inferiority. His stare was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. It was that same number. Levi sighed. He knew it was Erwin, and he couldn't avoid him forever.

"Hello," he said.

"Ah, Rivaille! Glad you finally decided to answer. Say, could we meet up? For old time's sake, of course."

"Why are you here?" Levi asked.

"Attending university, the same as yourself."

"No. Why are you  _here_?" 

"We're old friends, you and I," Erwin answered with a sick laugh. Eren could hear it through the phone, even from where he sat on his bed. "Why wouldn't I want to go to school with an old friend?"

"Where do you want to meet?" Levi was growing tired of this conversation. He wanted it over, quickly.

"Corner of Rickson St and 5th Avenue, be there at 10," and then the line went dead. It was already 9:30. Levi looked over to Eren.

"Rickson and 5th. You know where that is?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Take me there," Levi not so much asked as ordered as he fixed his revolver into his jeans, attached a second stiletto knife to his right bicep and strapped a serrated dagger under his other sleeve. "Now."

* * *

The moon was rising and the few brightest stars shone through the clouds over the city. Entirely unaware of the possible danger of the situation, Eren was far more fixated on the sky than his surroundings. Levi was wary, to say the least. He leaned against the wall, his eyes constantly moving, watching for Erwin. He would be arriving any minute.

"What are we doing here?" Eren finally asked. He hadn't caught most of the phone conversation earlier.

"Hey," Erwin appeared out of nowhere, standing furthur down the alleyway in the shadows. Levi's hand twitched towards his sleeve, but he decided not to give away the hidden weapons just yet. "We need to talk, Rivaille."

"Talk," Levi ordered. Erwin frowned a bit at this.

"I want out," Erwin admitted. Levi only stared blankly back at him. 

"You want... out?"

"I don't want to take over for my father. I don't want to be the next don."

"You have to. You're Malakai Smith's eldest son."

"I don't want to!" Erwin shouted, his fists clenched at his sides. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life killing people. I'm tired of constantly looking over my shoulder and hiding weapons under my clothes. I can't do it. I'm not cut out to be a don." Levi still didn't entirely understand Erwin's sudden confession, but he could tell that it was at least honest. Levi leaned back against the cool brick wall again, brushing his hair out of his eyes as he thought.

"Your father isn't going to let you just walk away. He's invested millions in raising you for the sole purpose of inheriting the empire."

"I know that," Erwin sighed.

"I'm so lost," Eren spoke up for the first time. Erwin gasped, he hadn't noticed the brown hair boy standing there earlier.

"Who is this, Rivaille?" Erwin demanded furiously. 

"You can trust him," Levi assured him.

"How do I know that?"

"Because I do!" Levi said with finality and a cold glare at Erwin. Erwin crossed his arms and leaned against the wall opposite Levi, coolly observing both Eren and Levi. They all stood there for a long time, with Levi toying with his hair as he thought, Eren fidgeting his thumbs, and Erwin waiting patiently for a response. After a long while Levi kicked off the wall he was standing on and walked away. Eren quickly followed, not wanting to left behind.

"Wait, Rivaille," Erwin jogged after them. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"No," Levi said.

"But," Erwin tried to protest.

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't care for you and I stand to gain nothing from helping you, so I won't."

"I can't get out of this alone!"

"Then stay in it, and stop following me." Erwin's clodding steps faded away behind them while Levi and Eren walked on.


End file.
